


☆ crimson letters

by festivalticket



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Gender-Neutral My Unit | Byleth, M/M, My Unit | Byleth Has Emotions, Other, Post-Black Eagles Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:02:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26164579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/festivalticket/pseuds/festivalticket
Summary: "...El, do you still think about them? About… the other houses?""...Of course. But what's done is done. I will always believe that this future was worth fighting for."-A year after the war, Byleth still refuses to accept the deaths of the Blue Lions and Golden Deer students. But when they discover a way to possibly save them, everything ends up becoming much more complicated than they expected.Edelgard wonders, for possibly the hundredth time today, why she's stuck in a dream (maybe a nightmare) where she's a student again.Post Crimson Flower, then New Game+ into Blue Lions route w canon divergence. Alternating POVs between El and Byleth :) ♡
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17





	☆ crimson letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw for a nightmare and throwing up!! It is very brief, but if either of those things bother you, i have marked the events with '(~)'s so you can just scroll past it :)
> 
> italics = thoughts/emphasis

The sun beamed down on the murky water as Byleth stood up to reel in their fishing line. After a few masterful pulls, a fish sprang out of the water, bright scales glistening. Byleth brought the line closer to them, unhooking the white trout with a practiced grace and then tossing it into the empty bucket behind them.

Normally they wouldn't have time to fish—there were a lot of things to take care of now that the war was over. Even being here at Garreg Mach monastery was strictly business: there was revolt due to some ex nobles of the surrounding town not doing their fair share of work, and Byleth had come to solve the issue. Similarly, their wife, Emperor Edelgard, had left for Faerghus a week ago to deal with an uprising.

Byleth sighed, attaching bait and casting their line back into the deep blue depths. They were happy that the Crest and Church systems were destroyed, but the cleanup wasn't as sunshine and rainbows as they had hoped for. They had no time for themself, let alone El, who barely had time to be in the palace regardless. Not to mention the pain in their heart whenever they saw a surname that belonged to a dead student of another house on paperwork. If only they could have….

Byleth shook their head immediately, trying to clear their thoughts. It wouldn't do to think about things of the past again. Not now, at least.

Another bite pulled down on their rod, causing them to jump into action immediately. It was definitely a small fish, but food was food. Byleth pulled the line up, eyeing the caledonian grayfish critically for a moment before putting it in the bucket. 

It was only a matter of time until Byleth had to be pulled back to their duties and monitor the progress with the ex nobles, but they wanted to enjoy this moment of peace while it lasted. They cast their line back into the water, staring up into the bright blue sky. It was a beautiful day, at least. Maybe today would be a good one.

"Your Majesty!"

Or maybe not.

Byleth stood up and quickly reeled in their line with masked disappointment. They turned around to find a soldier standing beyond the pier, nearly out of breath. "What's wrong? Has something happened?" they asked, noting his ragged appearance.

"Your plan worked!" he said, completely the opposite of what they expected. "The ex nobles are actually working. It's a miracle!"

Byleth sighed in relief, releasing the tension from their shoulders. "Well, I'm glad that's fixed now. Hopefully things stay this way."

"I've also heard word that Her Majesty will be returning to Enbarr later today," the soldier continued, his expression brightening. 

Byleth froze, nearly dropping their fishing rod. "Really? Are you sure?" 

"I heard from Sylvain, so I'm sure it's true. He's been scouting out around Faerghus for the past week," the soldier affirmed.

"We must go back to Enbarr as quickly as possible, then." Byleth sounded calm, but inside, they were as giddy as a child. El was coming back! It felt like they hadn't seen their wife in months, and they longed to hug her and brush their fingers through her hair.

The soldier nodded, rushing back to tell the others to get ready for departure. Byleth looked up into the clear sky, a huge smile crossing their face.

_El… I'm coming to see you soon._

-

As soon as Emperor Edelgard walked through the gates to the palace at sunset, Byleth pounced on her like a cat. The woman let out a noise of surprise as her spouse wrapped their arms around her, giving her soft kisses on her face.

"B-Byleth!" El exclaimed, her face bright red. "I am happy to see you as well, but let's do this somewhere more private…."

Byleth pulled away, their eyes shining. "I missed you," they said softly. They pretended not to notice the soldiers that had returned with their wife making a hasty 'tactical retreat', or Hubert's burning glare on their back as he slunk away. They had never managed to get him to like them, no matter what they did.

El glanced at the retreating soldiers before cupping Byleth's face. "I missed you too," she replied, her voice filled with so much warmth and love that Byleth's heart leaped.

They both returned to their shared quarters, Byleth eagerly sitting on their bed while El removed her heavy armor. She also removed a few papers from a hidden compartment, smoothing them out before placing them on the table. 

"I will be in the sauna for a bit," El said, lifting a few pure white towels and a fresh set of clothes. "I'd ask you to come with me, but unfortunately I need you to look over those papers for me."

Byleth sighed, removing themself from the bed. "Fine. But extra cuddle time when you come back," they replied, narrowing their eyes.

El laughed, a beautiful sound that Byleth had always adored. "Of course. I will see you later, my love."

Once their wife left, Byleth slowly trudged over to the papers she had left on the table. After careful inspection, it seemed they were reports on what had been happening in Faerghus. They let out another sigh, taking a seat and skimming over the contents.

There were many people who still only supported the Blaiddyd bloodline, and they were angry that the last descendant, late King Dimitri's uncle, Rufus, couldn't have any power at all. Byleth winced upon seeing Dimitri's name, remembering how kind and princely he had been as a student. 

Eager to dispel the bad thoughts, Byleth continued to read the papers. Apparently, El had declined to give Rufus any sort of power until he proved himself worthy of it. She had definitely made a good choice. Byleth vaguely remembered Dimitri telling them in passing that his uncle was more of a womanizer than a leader. 

Byleth furrowed their brow, frustrated that they had begun thinking of Dimitri again so quickly, and continued reading. The Faerghus citizens, particularly the survivors of House Fraldarius, were angry at El's decision, causing uprising and fights to break out. El had eventually reached a compromise with them, telling them that if she gives Rufus power, he must prove himself worthy of the position in no less than a week.

Byleth frowned. They lowered the papers, their now dark mood refusing to go away. _Dimitri_ should be the one in a powerful position, not Rufus. And Felix should be the one defending him. But… they were both dead. All of the Blue Lions students except for Sylvain were dead.

Once they thought of the Blue Lions, they began thinking of the Golden Deer too. They all had had such innocent smiles and charms back when they were just students. None of them deserved to be thrown into a world of war, but it was necessary, wasn't it…? Byleth stared down at their hands, closing them into fists. They had the power to rewind time with their Divine Pulse, yet they never managed to save a single student of another house. It seemed that whenever they tried, a Black Eagles student would fall instead, and they could never live with that heartbreak. But maybe, if they had just kept trying….

They didn't know how long they spent contemplating the things they could've done, but they were startled when the door suddenly opened. El came into the room with a fresh set of night clothes on, her white hair mostly dry yet still dripping with water. Her eyes brightened once she spotted Byleth at the table.

"You've read the papers, right? I want you to come with me back to Faerghus at the end of the week."

"I'm not complaining, but how come?" Byleth asked, subtly pushing the papers away.

"If the Emperor _and_ the Empress come, I think the people of Faerghus would be less willing to argue or fight," El explains, walking over to sit on the edge of their bed. "Not to mention, you're much more… gentler with these things than I am. I fully do not expect Rufus to meet my expectations."

Byleth tried to find the energy to laugh, then just ended up resorting to a nod instead. They stood up, already wearing their night clothes, and sat down next to El, leaning against her shoulder subconsciously.

"You seem… tired," El noted, examining Byleth with worried violet eyes. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

"Just thinking," Byleth mumbled, lifting their hand to tangle their fingers in their wife's slightly damp hair. They mentally berated themself for making her worry over them. _It's not like we can change the past._

"About what?" El pressed, turning slightly so that her body was facing in Byleth's direction. 

"Nothing important," Byleth replied, not meeting her gaze. They removed their hand from her hair, staring at the glistening drops of water instead.

"Byleth." El gently cupped their cheek with one hand and moved their head to face her. Her eyes were soft but stern. "We're _married_. It's important that we share things with each other. There's nothing you could say that would make me love you any less."

Byleth swallowed, staring into the depths of their wife's eyes. They really didn't want to make her upset. She had spent so long planning the war, and put every ounce of her power into making sure Fódlan could be happy and peaceful in the aftermath. To hear that Byleth was still so torn over something that was a necessary evil…. But El's gaze was anything but unconvincing. They felt the words spill out before their brain could even catch up.

"...El, do you still think about them? About… the other houses?"

El bit her lip, a million emotions crossing her face before landing on regret. "...Of course," she sighed. "But what's done is done. I will always believe that this future was worth fighting for."

"I know," Byleth replied, moving to hold their wife's hands. "I believe that too. But I just… I wish there was a way that things could be different."

"If I could bring all of them back, I would," El said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But… I'm happy with the world we managed to create. No more Crests and gods will make Fódlan a much better place."

"Yes… you're right," Byleth murmured, but they couldn't release the tension from the dark thoughts that had coiled around their mind. "I'm sorry for bringing it up. The papers just… reminded me."

"Let's just take it easy for now, then. Would you still like some extra cuddle time?" El asked, her lips curving upwards into a reassuring smile.

Byleth immediately tackle hugged her onto the bed, managing to grin in amusement when she let out a squeak of surprise. The two managed to get under the blankets before entangling their limbs together, gazing into each other's eyes fondly.

"I love you," El said, her expression embarrassed but still full of love. 

"I love you too," Byleth murmured, leaning in to give their wife a soft kiss on the nose. The two stayed close, breathing in sync until they eventually fell asleep.

-

(~)

Byleth didn't recall falling asleep, but they were immediately startled awake by a dream. They shook slightly, their body covered in sweat, before a horrible lurching feeling overtook them. They hastily untangled themself from El and rushed into their bathroom.

"Byleth?" El called, her tone sleepy yet worried. "Are you ok?"

_"Wish I… could have seen more of the world."_

_"If only I'd lived… just a little longer."_

Byleth flipped up the toilet seat immediately, crumbling to the cold floor and releasing the contents of their stomach. They gagged at the smell for a brief moment afterward, and didn't even realize they were sobbing until El pulled their hair back and wrapped her arms around them protectively.

"E-El," Byleth stuttered, trying to blink the tears away. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Shush," El murmured, leaning against her spouse. "It's alright. I'm right here, so just let it all out."

(~)

After a few moments, Byleth was able to shakily get to their feet with El's help. They hated that they had woken her, but they were also eternally grateful that she was here right now.

"Let's get back to bed," El whispered, attempting to guide Byleth back to the comforting sheets. "It would be better to discuss this in the morning."

"A-Actually," Byleth started, then coughed, trying to steady their voice. "I want to go out to the balcony to get some fresh air first. Just to clear my head."

"Do you want me to come with you?" El asked, and the worry in her eyes was obvious even in the darkness of the room. 

"I want you to go back to sleep," Byleth mumbled, grasping their wife's hands with theirs. "You will be busy today, so you need as much rest as possible."

"So will you," El retorted, the concern in her expression refusing to vanish. 

"I promise that I'll only be out for a moment, then."

El frowned, opening her mouth to reply, but then just sagged her shoulders in resignation instead. "...Fine," she said. "I will wait for you." 

Byleth gave their wife a tired smile, hoping the look in their eyes was reassuring at least. They turned away, walking towards the low light of the balcony. They brushed past the curtains, taking in the view of the dark, starry sky. A pinkish glow colored the horizon, showing that the edge of dawn was approaching.

Byleth sighed, leaning against the railing and taking a deep breath of the cold morning air. The nightmare they had… it was one they had experienced before. But why did it affect them so much more negatively now…?

Maybe it was because, in the grand scheme of things, Byleth wasn't happy. Their heart was still torn over the deaths of the Blue Lions and Golden Deer students, and maybe it always would be. Whether they tried hard to save them or not didn't even matter. They were dead.

Byleth glanced back at the bed, seeing El under the sheets, turned away from them but definitely not asleep. They would always love their wife—being by her side made so many new emotions spring inside of them. But….

They glanced back at the morning sky, gazing intently at the incoming light of the sun. This beautiful world was everything they wanted. But without everyone from the academy in it, could they really consider themselves satisfied?

Byleth sighed, shaking their head. Thinking about it wouldn't change anything. They had to deal with this new world, and they wanted to make it one that was worth dying for alongside El. 

Just as they turned to return to their bed, a sudden voice stopped them in their tracks. 

_"You… do not belong in this world."_

Byleth looked around in surprise. There was nobody else around other than El, and she hadn't moved from her place on the bed. They frowned warily. The voice sounded familiar, but….

_"You are a complete and utter fool! Do you still not recall who I am?!"_

"Um. No?" Byleth replied under their breath, glancing cautiously at their (still unsleeping...) wife.

 _"You are still just a mere child, it seems,"_ the voice huffed angrily, and suddenly there was a bright green burst of light. Byleth shielded their eyes in surprise, and when the glow faded, there stood a young girl with long green hair. Wait….

" _Sothis_?" Byleth exclaimed, thankfully still keeping their voice below a whisper. "What are you—I thought— _how_ —"

 _"I told you that I would always be with you,"_ Sothis replied, a gentleness replacing her previous anger. _"And now I am here, in your time of need. I know this world is not the one you seek."_

Byleth's shoulders sagged. "It is, but… if I could have saved at least a few students, I'd be much happier."

Sothis smiled softly at them, floating closer. _"I understand. Living in a world where you indirectly killed so many familiar faces… it is not ideal."_ She looked sad for a moment before continuing to speak. _"Which is why I must ask you… if I entrust you with the gift to turn back the hands of time, will you use it wisely?"_

Byleth stared in confusion. "What? But I can already use Divine P—"

 _"I mean the power to reset this timeline,"_ Sothis interrupted. _"If you could go back six years in the past, don't you think you could do things differently to prevent your precious students' deaths?"_

"That's possible?" Byleth demanded, their jaw nearly hanging open.

_"Yes, but… you'd have to leave this world behind. You'd have to leave this version of your El behind."_

Byleth's hope immediately shattered, their heart sinking. "You… mean she won't love me again if I do this?"

Sothis snorted. _"Of course she'll love you, you fool! She just will not be the same Edelgard as before. That goes for the rest of the Black Eagles, as well. They will all turn out to be different people. Are you willing to accept that?"_

Byleth turned their gaze away from Sothis, blinking as the light of the stars faded from the brightening dawn sky. If there could be a way that everyone from the academy could see this same beautiful sky every morning until they grew old… it would be worth it, wouldn't it? Everyone could be happier. _Byleth_ could be happier. And if El would still love them in the end....

"I… I think it is worth it," they responded softly. "Fódlan doesn't feel right without everyone in it."

 _"A heartfelt choice,"_ Sothis said proudly. _"It may not be the most logical, but… I have a good feeling about this. I will leave you the gift of time. Make your new world the one you truly dream of."_

With those words, the goddess of Fódlan faded away with a shimmer of green light. 

Byleth looked down at their hands, taking a deep breath. Did they really have the strength in them to save everyone? They didn't know if it was possible, but… they had to try. And they would try their absolute hardest, no matter how many Divine Pulses they had to use. Everything in this new world would be for their old students.

They looked back at their wife, relieved to find she had finally fallen back asleep. They wanted to go to her and hold her for just one last moment before everything turned back, but they didn't know if they had the will to explain everything to her. Not after all the time and effort she'd spent on this Fódlan.

_This new world I'll create… I hope it makes you happier too, El._

With the glow of dawn light on their face, Byleth turned back the hands of time.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, i am Kk :3 Three Houses was my first FE game and it means a lot to me (especially Edeleth.... they are immaculate) so i wanted to try and write a fanfic for it!! I've also never tried writing abt characters that already exist (aka personality and everything) so I think this will be a fun lil challenge for me :3 I have a very loose idea of where I want this to go, but i am definitely open to a few suggestions! Also i have only played through Crimson Flower and Azure Moon so i will def be doing research on Verdant Wind for this fanfic (i'd just play it but pre-timeskip rlly sucks for the 3rd time in a row.... so boring) This will also probably have slow updates!! I'm not the best at getting motivated but I always have tons of ideas haha... :'( 
> 
> Byleth uses they/them pronouns so that i can become more accustomed to them btw!! Also because i think it is neat :)


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